FORKS — Forks was on the scoreboard within the first 59 seconds of Friday’s homecoming game with Morton-White Pass when Nate Dahlgren bowled in from about 5 yards out for a touchdown.
The scoring pace didn’t stay quite that fast and furious, but the Spartans leveled the Timberwolves 69-0 in a game played in a West End monsoon.
Forks triggered the 40-point running clock with 4:27 to go in the second quarter.
Dahlgren had four touchdown runs on the night while Dalton Kilmer added three TD runs of his own, Logan Olson ran for a score and threw a touchdown pass to Keaton Northcutt and Logan Hatch ran in the final TD with 17 seconds left in the third.
Forks (5-0) and sixth in the WIAA Class 2B RPI, has sealed a district playoff berth and a home game, with overall seeding dependent on the Spartans clash away at No. 5 Napavine (7-0), according to head coach Trevor Highfield.
“Kudos to the kids, they did a great job,” we are in a really good place in the season and I’ve felt like the last two games have been our best performances and i thought we put it together last night.
“Homecoming and senior night all wrapped into one and it was fun to celebrate those seven kids [Olson, Kilmer, Conner Earls, Austin Graham, Hector Dominguez, Victor Morelos Sanchez and Hayden Queen].”
Forks went with tempo and a hard-charging run game to tire out the Timberwolves.
“Just the size of their guys we felt that could be something we could utilize to our advantage [playing fast],” Highfield said. “We had a couple of kids around 200 and they had two or three 300-plus. “We knew that could be a tactic to try and take advantage of our speed and quickness and tempo them.”
Highfield also said Morton-White Pass was missing some pieces the Spartans saw while scouting film.
“It was a different quarterback, running back from what we saw on film, but defensively our guys did a great job. We forced and recovered some fumbles and it was just a good night overall.”
Sequim 29, North Mason 28
SEQUIM — The Wolves weathered the ebbs and flows of this contest, rolling out to a 15-0 lead, then rallying in the fourth quarter after spotting the Bulldogs a 28-point run.
“Yes, we definitely played a thriller,” Sequim coach Erik Wiker said.
Trailing 28-15 entering the final period, the Wolves used some razzle dazzle to pull closer.
“We did a trick play from the 15 and threw a throwback pass from Lars Wiker to Isaiah Moore for a touchdown,” Wiker said.
Sequim got the defensive stop it needed late and regained the ball at their own 12-yard line with 3:30 to play.
The Wolves worked the sidelines up the field and Wiker found Applegate inside the 10 on a deep ball.
“Kobe makes a great fingertip, diving, bobbling catch at the 5-yard line,” Wiker said. “And Lars rolls in for a rushing touchdown.”
Wiker said the team wanted to go for the 2-point conversion and take the lead. With North Mason’s strong running attack a tough act to stop, the Wolves rolled the dice as Wiker found Moore on an out route for a 29-28 lead with 1:10 to play.
The Wolves then turned it up defensively, forcing a turnover on downs and running out the clock.
Sequim opened up the 15-0 lead when Kobe Applegate returned the opening kickoff for a TD and the Wolves recovered the ensuing pooch kick and scored on a TD pass from Wiker to Brandon Wagner.
“Our defense did some pretty good things and I think our good week of practice really helped us,” Wiker said. “We were able to do the trick play and the goal-line play and practice helped us to execute those things offensively as well as defensively.
“This was a great team win. We started with low numbers and there have been guys who have really stepped up to face the challenges we have had and they’ve faired well.”
Sequim (2-4, 2-5) visits Kingston on Friday.
